It's pretty disgusting what goes on in this world a lot of times. Most of it is brought on by greed. Even the contraception thing is just a ploy so insurance companies don't have to pay for birth control pills so they can make more profits. People like Huntress buy into it as some kind of moral issue. Yeah, right. We've had birth control since the '60s but 50 years later NOW it's a big deal?

You didn't expect life was going to be easy, did you? There are a lot of people out there, life is a one to one enterprise. We all need to help each other. One person DOES make a difference. Here'a a hug ( ) now pass it on.

Obviously there are people out there like you. Rush is feeling some real backlash for his stupid comments. He's lost seven advertisers and two radio stations have dropped his show. That's real people demonstrating they have a problem with what he said.

Mostly, though, I think people listen and watch these kinds of things and make judgements but know there's not much they can do other than tell the guy in the next cubicle how much it pisses them off. Or they blog about it. :))

I feel your angst. As long as there are people like you (and me)who care, the best we can do is keep a spotlight on all this stuff and do what we can to talk about it or do something about it whenever it's possible.

There are loads of us out here like you, however America is being run by conservatives these days (so much so that even the so-called liberal party has moved towards the right just to be able to stay in the game), so this is what you will naturally get. Until America wakes up and starts actually moving towards the left again, we won't be able to fix much of this.

I hate all of the things you mentioned. I often feel like I'm the only one who hates that the world is like this, but judging from the comments here, that's obviously not true. As for Rush Limbaugh's comments, I got so frustrated with his behavior that I wrote my longest post to date to blow off steam. And unlike him, I tried to be civilized in my discussion. Defamatory remarks like his never further the discussion in a positive way.

As long as we have people speaking out, there at least may be a chance that these things will get better. At least I hope so.

This has touched a nerve with me. I mentioned the other day to someone that my OCD goes into overdrive when I hear about the things that happen on our planet. I just want to clean it all up, sweep it all away and make the world a cleaner, fresher, more pleasant place to live. The truth is, most people are lovely, friendly, helpful and non-violent. Unfortunately, we hear more about the other kind. They get way too much attention. They throw their dummies out of the pram and we have to sit up and take notice. I wish the World could have a good news day...and only good news. Maybe you and I should start one, Michael. By the way, you're it. I've tagged you. Please answer the questions that I've answered on my blog. I have a feeling that your answers are going to be extremely interesting. Love Valentina.

There are many people out here like you, Michael, and quite a few of us will be voting Democrat in the next election. Our party isn't perfect but it's inclusive and cares about the welfare of everyone, as opposed to a privileged few.

Sadly the people with power are only interested in making sure they keep it, and the people fighting for their rights are only interested in fairness and equality until they get in power, and then they turn into the same reactionary, power hungry idiots that preceded them.

#1 I am now fully convinced that we do have the same taste in music. Awesome.

#2 You're just scratching the surface. It's hard just listening to all this crap going on. I was traveling when the school shooting happened, and airport travelers were stunned and glued to the TV screens.

#3 I don't think the problems are necessarily associated with political parties, as many believe. And there are always two sides to every issue. I do believe the radicals on either side of the political spectrum are getting way too much press. Leaving people like me in the middle pretty much stuck and ignored. Common sense has left the building.

I hear you loud and clear, and am glad to see the comments for the most part do as well.Also, slow applause for Grumpy Bulldog, as usual.

Fun fact, apparently, for like the last 70 years or so, the results of the best picture award in the oscars has predicted the party that wins the presedential race. So if the same movie wins the Oscar AND the golden globe, a republican has won the race. If it's a different movie between the two awards, a democrat has won.This year, it was different, so i really hope the pattern holds strong

First, Huntress: You cannot pick and choose where your taxes go. Government doesn't work that way. It would be sheer chaos to say that people's taxes could only be used for those projects they approved of. I did not approve of the war in Iraq as I am generally opposed to having thousands of Americans killed and maimed in pursuit of higher oil profits for Dick Cheney and Worst President Ever, but I still had to have my taxes go for that.

Second, Michael: The reason you hear about these things is because they are so unusual. Rush Limbaugh makes the news for calling Ms. Fluke a slut because he is the only radio host to do so; many many many people did NOT think Ms. Fluke was a slut, but it's not news when 299,999,999 people think something. "Dog bites man" never makes headlines. "Man bites dog" does.

It's a mistake to think that news coverage = popularity. Rick Santorum, for example, is having his candidacy propped up by a few rich men. Over and over, the majority of the people have rejected Rick Santorum's hate-based ideology. All Democrats reject him. Most Republicans do. But the media needs something to cover, and so they cover him.

There is a minority of people out there who do bad. There is a majority of people who don't do bad but who don't actively try to do good. It is up to us, as that majority of people, to try to do what good we can.

Write about it. Urge others to write about it. Vote. Protest. Contribute to charity (unlike Rick Santorum, who doesn't and then blames his disabled daughter for him hoarding his ill-gotten gains). Volunteer for a charity. Run for office. Give money to a good person who runs for office. Insist that politicians have beliefs and act in accordance wit them.Have beliefs, and act in accordance with them.Buy someone an ice cream cone, and one for yourself, too.

That last one seems pretty small, in light of the many things that one could do, but I guarantee you: if you buy someone and yourself each an ice cream cone, the world will be a little better off for it.

There's a lot of bad stuff going on but I think for every bad thing happening, there are just as many good things. We have to focus on the good stuff or nobody would ever get out of their beds in the morning.

Michael, you are so very far from being the only person having a problem with all these evils. The small piece of good news is, the outrage is expanding. Rush Limbaugh is losing sponsors and radio stations (FINALLY!). Pundits and the public are ripping the candidates for not standing up for Rush's latest victim and for trying to drag women back to the Middle Ages on contraception and other issues. Republican leaders are panicking because they're losing masses of women voters. Catholic governors have defied their church and signed bills to legalize gay marriage in their states...

So there are signs of hope. But the more the loonies and extremists try to force their whackjob agendas on us, the harder we have to push back. So let's all keep pushing.

These things have always been around. The fact that we're noticing them more now means that we're tolerating them less. That's a good thing.

We have a choice. We can spend our time and energy hating that which is wrong, or we can choose to focus on what is good. Fight for good and justice where we can, of course. Resist the bad stuff, of course. But spend more time on the good stuff.

I used to watch political news a lot, I had to cut back because it made me sick and angry. I hate the hate that is in this world. I hate injustice and poverty. I hate that my sister, a war veteran, can't get disability payments from social security. I hate that my other sister had to come to Canada to be cured of cancer. I hate all the the things you listed. I'm really tired of this world.

All those reasons lead me to avoid the news. I feel like I'm hiding my head, but I really don't see why I need to know about other people's stupidity, cruelty and ignorance when there is not much (if anything) I can do about it. I choose to surround myself with joyful, creative, fulfilling "things" instead. You're not alone, but I think many of those like you (and me) are just quieter.

Is there anyone out there? I think a lot of granmothers are there, those of us who come from an imaginary place where there is care for humnity. Grandmas who want to protect our grandkids from fanatics as much as from predetors. Yes we are here, just holler and vent.